Introducing Singing for Adults

Introducing Singing for Adults

A Group Course for Beginners

Next classes start 17-19 April 2018.

‘You’ve got a song you’re singing from your gut, you want that audience to feel it in their gut. And you’ve got to make them think that you’re one of them sitting out there with them too.’ – Johnny Cash

‘When I began singing, it was the first time I was happy in my life. As a baby, I would stop crying when I heard a great singer.’ – Andrea Bocelli

‘A great course for everybody who loves singing! It will help you understand the basics of singing technique, boost your confidence and allow you to meet fantastic people. Highly recommended!’ – J. Kaletka

Do you love to sing? Have you ever been told that you had a good voice and ‘must get it trained’? Would you like to know what actually goes on in singing lessons? Featured on RTÉ Radio One’s ‘Morning Ireland’ programme and one of the New School’s most popular courses, Introducing Singing for Adults is designed to take some of the mystery out of singing, improve your confidence in singing before an audience and introduce you to the fundamentals of voice training. Along with a small group of like-minded adults, you will observe and participate in basic singing tuition. You will learn how to choose songs (from a range of musical styles) that suit you and your voice. And you will begin to explore the technical side of singing, discovering the application and use of Focus and Support. (We will also discuss how to work with a voice/singing teacher to achieve your singing goals.) But most of all you will learn – in a relaxed and supportive environment – to sing with and in front of others. For those who want a basic understanding of technique, as well as for those who want to begin a lifetime of study (Pavarotti took a singing lesson every week for most of his life!), this course is the perfect introduction to the singer’s art.

Please note that Introducing Singing for Adults is not a course for the timid. You will be asked to stand up and sing with – or in front of – others on a weekly basis!

Have you enrolled in this course? Download our Introductory Handout for tips on how to get the most from it.

Marta Burns

Born in Poland, Marta began learning piano at the age of six and later pursued vocal studies. After graduating from the National Music School with teaching diplomas in voice and piano, she studied for an honours MA in Musicology at Adam Mickievicz University in Poznan and at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, also travelling around Romania and the Ukraine as an ethnomusicologist to take field recordings and transcribe indigenous folk music. After graduating, she came to Dublin and continued her vocal studies at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, receiving a Diageo Ireland scholarship. At the RIAM she studied with both Kathleen Tynan, head of the Vocal faculty, and Dr. Veronica Dunne, and more recently she has also studied with the world-renowned soprano Barbara Bonney in Austria and Janice Chapman in London. In addition, she has studied advanced Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, which she finds highly beneficial for both her performing and teaching practice. Marta has sung widely in Ireland and has performed for Dublin City Council, Cork City Council, the Polish Embassy, Polish-Irish Society, the Chinese Embassy and Chinese Network Ireland, among others. She has also worked as a voice-over artist for radio, is active as a singer-songwriter and composer and is currently working on her first album. Marta is a member of the European Piano Teachers Association, Kodály Society of Ireland, Society for Music Education in Ireland and Society for Musicology in Ireland. She has taught at the New School since 2006 and is also on the faculty of the DIT Conservatory of Music & Drama.

Jenna Harris

Jenna began her music studies with classical voice until she discovered her passion for jazz, and she holds a diploma in Jazz Performance awarded by Trinity Guildhall and an honours BA in Jazz Performance from Newpark Music Centre (she was the first woman in Ireland to receive a degree in Jazz Performance). The Jenna Harris Quintet, a band formed while she was an undergraduate, performed jazz standards for a number of years after they graduated, and she has also performed and recorded with the jazz/electronic group Zoiband, releasing the EP Sundillion in 2011. Currently her main performing focus is jazz and improvised music projects, including Berri, a drums/voice duo performing original material, with Matthew Jacobson on drums/synth and Jenna on voice/effects/loops. Derek Whyte (double bass) also joined Jenna and Matthew to form another group, the Scintilla jazz trio. While Jenna specialises in jazz, she teaches natural voice technique, suitable for many music genres, that prioritises clarity and a full understanding of the student’s voice. This approach promotes vocal longevity and the ability to maintain a settled, comfortable and problem-free voice. Special attention is also given to the development of the student’s own individual ‘sound’. Jenna has taught with the New School since 2006, and with Newpark on their BA programme.

Lynn Hilary

Lynn studied classical voice at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, where she earned an honours BMus performance degree. Since then she has branched out extensively in her vocal career and covered almost all other genres of singing – including Irish traditional, jazz, opera, early music, pop, rock, folk, contemporary music, etc. – each tailored to the demands of the specific role and utilising the foundations of her classical training. Lynn has been a featured soloist with Riverdance, Celtic Woman and the renowned choir Anúna, and her career has brought her around the world many times for over a decade. With Riverdance, she performed at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics in Croke Park, and she has performed five times in New York’s Radio City Music Hall, including a gala performance for such luminaries as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. She featured as a soloist on the Riverdance 10th Anniversary CD and DVD; on several albums released with Celtic Woman, including Songs from the Heart, The Greatest Journeyand Lullaby; and on eight Anúna albums, as well as their soundtrack to the world-famous game Diablo 3. Lynn’s first solo album, Take Me with You (2009), was released on the EMI Manhattan label, and her most recent album, the self-penned Saturn Return, showcases her as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. Lynn has taught singing both privately and with several different music schools, stage schools and community centres.

Niamh McCormack

rmed in the National Concert Hall, the Gaiety Theatre, Place des Arts in Montreal, Radio City Music Hall in New York City, as well as at the Giza pyramids in Egypt. She has won numerous awards in feiseanna and music festivals, including the Stevenson Award and bursary from the Ballymena Festival. She has also toured extensively as vocal soloist with Riverdance and performed such operatic roles as Musetta in La Boheme, Papagena in The Magic Flute and Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro. Niamh has sung with the National Chamber Choir and continues to be a deputy member. She is also a regular recitalist and performer of Early Music and has recorded a lunchtime recital for RTÉ lyric fm. In addition to teaching at the New School since 2009, Niamh has taught singing and musical theatre with An Grianán, Co. Louth.

Joan O’Malley

Joan received her BMus Performance degree as well as a postgraduate Diploma in Performance from the DIT Conservatory of Music & Drama and also trained at the Stageworks Drama School. She has won several awards for her singing, including the DIT Opera Studio’s MacNamara Gold Cup and the Feis Ceoil’s Veronica Dunne and Wilson Cups. Joan has performed in numerous productions with Opera Ireland (Cosi fan tutte, Don Pasquale) and the Anna Livia Opera Company (Lucia di Lammermoor, The Pearl Fishers) and as soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Coronation Mass, among others. She has taught at the New School since 2007.

Ruba Shamshoum

Ruba is a Palestinian musician, singer and composer, born and raised in Nazareth and currently living in Dublin. Her distinctive music draws from the harmony, sensibility, improvisation and playfulness of jazz, complemented by Middle Eastern and Arabic musical elements. Although she studied Special Education and English Literature as an undergraduate, Ruba was determined to make music her profession and received a BA in Jazz Performance from Newpark Music Centre. She has also written music for the film Lamma Shoftak (When I Saw You, 2012), in which she also acted, and which was nominated for an Academy Award and won Best Asian Film at the Berlin International Film Festival; released several acclaimed singles that reached the top of the indie charts in the Middle East and North Africa; performed in international festivals in Ireland, the UK and the Middle East; and given a TED talk about finding one’s own distinctive voice in music and art. In May 2017, Ruba released her debut album, Shamat (Beauty Spots), which she wrote, arranged and performed. The album deals with a number of issues, including identity, anger, escapism, lack of communication, fear and love – with each song exploring a different shade of emotion. Ruba has taught voice students of all ages.

‘I really enjoyed the course and gained confidence in my singing abilities as well as learning new techniques, and I had fun singing songs I would not normally have considered “suitable” for me.’ – R. Ferguson

‘Great fun. Relaxed atmosphere. Learned loads!’ – K. Finn

‘It is a great singing experience. Besides learning the techniques, you gain confidence in yourself. It is also a relaxing time.’ – M. Laboureur

‘A great introduction to singing and the different genres of music. The course definitely made me want to pursue further vocal training.’ – R. Lee

‘A very enjoyable course. The teacher was very experienced and all participants improved hugely, even shrinking violets!’ – E. Loughrey

‘If you love to sing but are not sure how to progress, give the singing course a go. Hugely enjoyable and a great way to progress in a small group. It helps with wobbly nervous voices too! Highly recommended.’ – A. McCabe

‘Gave me confidence to try for the high notes in the choir I’m in.’ – B. Mac Ceallaigh

‘The course was so much more than I expected. I learned so much and gained confidence within myself. The teacher was an inspiration!’ – C. McGowan

‘For me, as an aspect of personal development, the classes were hugely enjoyable and rewarding.’ – E. McGrath

‘At first I was hesitant about joining an adult singing class. Now that the class has finished I have no regrets and my Tuesday nights are noticeably empty! My technique and confidence have improved significantly and I finally know how to warm up my vocal chords. I’m looking forward to continuing my musical journey with Waltons!’ – M. McKernan

‘I enjoyed the course immensely and learned a lot. The teacher was excellent and I liked the whole welcoming set up in Waltons New School of Music.’ – A. Molony

‘Excellent tuition. I really enjoyed getting to know different voices and different styles of singing.’ – P. Murray

‘It was so enjoyable that I never noticed the time passing and was always surprised when the time was up!’ – N. O’Reilly

Have you taken – or are you taking – this course? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about it.

Enrolment for this course requires a completed Enrolment Form and full payment of the course fee. Places in each class are limited to eight, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date of enrolment. A number of our group courses fill in advance of their start dates, and early enrolment is recommended.

Two weeks before the end of each Introducing course, participating students will be given options for continuing their tuition at the school if they’d like to do so. Although a continuation ‘Improvers’ course cannot generally be scheduled on the same day/time as the Introducing course, one can be arranged if enough students would like to continue and the teacher has timetable availability. Students can also continue their tuition with private (one-to-one) lessons or ‘partner’ lessons with another class member (see Tuition Options – Private • Partner • Small Group Lessons). We are happy to discuss these options with you.